As much as I try to convince Elli to wear the shorts/capri’s/pants that are in her drawer……….she only gives in about 15% of the time. And I better have a really good reason to give her…….because “it’s cold out” isn’t good enough. :) I’ve decided to give up on it. And just let her wear a skirt/dress every single stinkin’ day if she wants to. (Who am I kidding? I used to come home from elementary school as a girl and put on the same twirly skirt from the costumes box and twirl in it all afternoon. So what’s the big deal, right?)

So, I whipped up a few new skirts this week, to satisfy her skirt hunger……and to shorten my time spent in the laundry room. Because this girl wants to wear a skirt every day to kindergarten.

(By the way, after this post, many have asked how Elli is doing in school. She LOVES it! She is happy to go every morning and once she gets home, she proudly tells me all the new names she has learned that day. Sweet little nugget! I’m just so glad she’s enjoying it!)

Before making her a few skirts, I told myself I needed something fast and simple. And well, this is exactly that! A simple tube of fabric attached right to some elastic. Done. No casing, no hemming, no gathering.

And yeah, having funky elastic sure makes this simple skirt style, twice as cute. In case you’re wondering, wide elastic in all these pretty colors is actually really hard to find. (Yes, I looked.) But I found it all here. Bless them for having so many great colors (that’s also super soft too)! :)

Now Elli has 3 new skirts that fit comfortable and are cute and colorful. And all were sewn together in a little over an hour.

And yeah, labels always spruce up those homemade projects. So I sewed them right onto the elastic waistbands.

Even though I used a serger to finish off my edges, you can use a tight zig-zag stitch as well. (I’ll show you how, down below.) But keep in mind, that you can also make these skirts out of knit fabric and then you won’t have to serge OR zig-zag the top and bottom edges. Yay.

Go on Elli, wear a skirt any ol’ day you want to! I’ll stop bugging you to wear those shorts that are gathering dust in your bottom drawer.

First of all, I found my elastic here. And it arrived quickly. It’s 1.5 inches wide and is really soft. So, in case your child doesn’t like to tuck their shirts in, the elastic won’t scratch or irritate. It’s great stuff!

Also, like I mentioned above, you can either use woven cotton (just like your regular ‘ol quilting cotton) or you can use knit fabric. Woven cotton will fray and you’ll have to finish off the edges like I did, or you can use knit and make this an even FASTER skirt and skip finishing the edges. (And you know my favorite thing to do is use old Tshirts…..and you can always make the bottom hem of the shirt, the bottom hem of your skirt. Quick and easy.)

First, measure your child’s waist and cut a piece of elastic that long. Then overlap the ends by an inch and zig-zag the ends in place. (Elli is almost 6 and her waist is 21…..you know, in case you’re making this for a friend or something.)

Then, cut a piece of fabric that is twice and long as your child’s waist and is the exact length that you want it to be on your child. (For my Elli, I cut a piece of fabric that was 42 x 12 inches.) Then sew the two shorter ends together (with right sides together), using a 1/2 inch seam allowance. Then serge or zig-zag that edge. Then, if you’re using a woven fabric, serge or zig-zag the top and bottom edge of the tube, all the way around.

If you’re using a zig-zag stitch (instead of a serger), decreasing the stitch length will make your zig-zags closer together and will help keep the fabric from fraying a little better. And you may notice that when sewing on a flimsy edge, sewing a zig-zag will actually roll the edge of your fabric a bit. And even if you make the zig-zag nice and wide (by increasing the stitch width), it will probably still roll. But don’t worry…..that is just fine! It will still make your edges nice and finished.

***NOTE: If you’d prefer, you can skip the serge/zig-zag edges by adding a little extra length to your fabric dimensions while cutting, and then hem the skirt bottom and top by folding the edge under a 1/4 inch, another 1/4 inch, and then sew it in place. It’s up to you!

Next, place pins on the bottom of your elastic band at the sides and the exact middle in the front and back. Then do the same for the top edge of the skirt. Now the elastic and skirt are divided into quarters.

Then, pin the elastic to the skirt, right where those pins are, overlapping the skirt by about a 1/2 inch.

If splitting the skirt up into quarters is too far away for you to pull and sew (as shown in the next step), split the sections up in half again so that now it’s split up into eighths.

Now, starting at the back, place your needle down into the fabric, a 1/4 inch from the top of the fabric. Your fabric will be a little bunchy (shown on left). So, pull your elastic until it’s the same length as that section of fabric and sew the fabric down to the stretched elastic, using your zig-zag stitch. (the zig-zag will allow for stretch.) Sew all the way around the skirt, sewing one section at a time. ****HINT: I couldn’t show you this, because I was taking the picture, but it’s easier if you use two hands. One hand on the back end of the elastic and one hand at the front, pulling in opposite directions. And while sewing, be sure that the fabric continues to only overlap by a 1/2 inch (and that you’re sewing a 1/4 inch from the top edge of the fabric), all the way around. You want it to be attached evenly.

Once you’re done, and you release the elastic, it will look like this.

So quick.

And very simple (once you get the hang of pulling the elastic as you sew).

Now go on and make 17 more. I’m sure there are several girls in your neighborhood who need a few new skirts!

My daughter also LOVED dresses through age 6, and ever since then (she’s 22 now!) has been willing to do so only for those occasions when dresses are the only appropriate clothing to wear. As Lindsay says, enjoy this stage; it may not last.

When I was little, I wore whatever the heck my mom put me in (looking back on those pictures, that probably wasnt too great of a logic!). But during one phase of my life, I only wore tshirts and jeans. Now I’m back to skirts and dresses. Point being, kids go through clothing phases.

My daughter is Ellie’s age and super tall so I love that you post the dimensions and all of these adorable projects. Thank you!
My daughter loves to wear skirts also but she is incredibly energetic so is constantly hanging upside down, doing cart wheels, and doing monkey bars, climbing…. etc. Do you have a tutorial on how to make some little knit shorts (thin and short) or something to go under so she isn’t giving all of us a panty show? :) tks!

This is such a great idea! My little girl is such a tomboy but has to wear a skirt or dress every Wed to her school’s chapel. She’s a first grader this year. I think she will love picking out the elastic and fabric to suit her style. Thank you for posting!

Thank you soooo Much! My little girl (age 7) would also live in skirts but I hate that the stores are only selling them mega short. I love that these are made just above the knee. Thanks for the link to some super cute elastic. I’m going to go order!

Whipped up three of these baby’s tonight for my three year old who lives in skirts and dresses! After I got the hang of sewing with the elastic they came together in a snap. I’m already contemplating a few more, including a bigger one for myself! Thanks for the awesome tutorial! :-)

I have a daughter that was just like that. She’s the one that wore a tutu until forced to remove it to sleep. She still prefers skirts/dresses. She is going off to college in a couple of weeks, one where the dress code doesn’t allow for shorts or capris, so she wants more skirts…. and this sounds like a good way to adjust her wardrobe. Thanks.

Hello, I am living in France, and I follow your blog every weeks (I am sorry for my bad English) your blog is super, and very well explicated. I have a little girl and I would like to do the same skirt but I can’t find elastic band in France, do you know how I can buy elastic band in your country and send me them in France ?Thank you very much

I am so glad my daughter isn’t the only one that doesn’t want to have anything to do with shorts or pants. It made me crazy at first, now I have just given up…This skirt tutorial is great!! Thanks so much! You are fantastic!

I have the same problem with my seven year old. She loves her skirts/dresses. She is going into the 2nd grade, I thought that she would take to pants/shorts more by now, esp. when she tried to jump rope at recess and the rope would get caught on that skirt. (That’s what happened with me. :)) But nope, she still loves them and she loves to jump rope. Go figure!
These skirts will be great for her. Even in the winter time (in Vegas) these will be great with some leggings. Thanks!

Hi Ashley, I’m totally new to sewing and I am in the UK and I’ve searched everywhere but I can’t find the coloured elastic bands you use. Could you tell me where you get yours from please? Thank you, Michelle

These are adorable! I’ve done a similar technique with a circle skirt, but I like the idea of using just a tube of fabric, too. Thanks! Oh, and if you don’t have a serger, you can also use a rolled hem foot to easily hem the bottom and top. :)

Wow, I love it so simple! I wish my little girl would ware these but she won’t. She has to have the skort kind or she throws a fit about it and don’t really like to ware skirts. But if she did I would so make her some of these.

Ok, so I never comment on blogs but I just had to on this one! I’m a beginner when it comes to sewing, but I do love it so much. I made matching skirts using this pattern for my daughters for the first day of school. They absolutely love them, only wish I could add a picture to show you how cute they turned out! Thanks for the tutorial!

just made one for my 2 1/2 year old – she LOVES it! I made myself a straight skirt last week and she wanted one too. I used the same fabric for her elastic band skirt and she is just over the moon! I’m going to have to order some of the cutie elastic that you have, too. Thanks for another great tutorial!

I tried to make this skirt. Every time I try to sew my fabric to the elastic my thread keeps getting wadded up on the bottom & my machine jerks to a halt. Any suggestions? I tried loosening my tension & it did not solve my problem.

I made 2 of these tonight. One for my 4 year old (spider man fabric) and one for my 1 year old(orange flowers). They turned out perfect. I can’t wait until they can wear them to school tomorrow. I feel crafty but not exhausted and frustrated. Great tutorial, thanks!

Those skirts are magnificient. I would love to know where to buy the coloured elastic as I cannot get it in Australia.
How lovely to be able to make heaps of those skirts for the disadvanaged children all year round not just Christmas and Easter.

Thanks so much for the clear and easy to follow tutorial! I am a total amateur and let’s just say it took me a whhiillle…but it turned out great!!! Now I know what to do I will definitely be making a bunch more for my litter one…and all her friends! Thank you! Sale fabric + elastic = brillant gifts for less than $1!

Lauren, did your fabric go onto the elastic evenly? Ive made about 6 so far and everytime, where I sew the fabric onto the elastic, it is all over the place! I really want mine to be nice and evenly stitched like the bloggers.

Im not too sure what you mean, but ensuring that you fully stretch out the elastic as you sew the fabric helps. Pull back from behind the machine away from the presser foot with one hand, and towards yourself pulling both elastic and fabric together tight, as it feeds through. If you mean is it sewn on wonky, not leaving a perfect inch of elastic showing at the top for example, you may just need to go a little slower, ensuring you measure on the machine plate? Hope that makes sense!

That’s it exactly, it goes on wonky. I will try to go slower. I tried using “softer” elastic and it helped a little from the stiffer elastic I was using before. I need three hands :) I actually did have my husband hold the machine down so I could concentrate on pulling the elastic and fabric from the front and back without the machine slipping (its not in its desk right now but on the dining room table). I guess I just need to practice!

Love this tutorial! I’m making it right now! Just thought I might let you know this: I found something called “Liquid Stitch” at my local craft store. It can be used for stitchless sewing! It’s not quite strong enough for putting elastic on a skirt (learned that the hard way:-), but it is perfect for hemming up the bottom! By the way, my daughter also insists on wearing a skirt everyday, so thanks for your help!

Thank you so much for posting where to find these elastic bands. I have been making my daughter’s diapers for a year now and havent been able to find cute, soft elatic. THANK YOU!!!!!!!! You will nevre know how much this helps me out.

So glad i found your blog. My daughter is 10 but is already wearing junior sizes but they dont always fit right. I just bought a sewing machine to try to make clothes for her and me. She loves skirts and yours are awesome for her!

Am almost through making my first two skirts…I have the “tube” of fabric sewn and the edges finished, but am having a lot of trouble joining the elastic to itself. Since the distance to be sewn is short (my elastic is only 1″ wide), I’m having trouble feeding it through, it gets stuck and I keep getting a rat’s nets/hairball of thread instead of a nice zigzag. Any tips?

I am a beginner sewer, and this was super easy! I made it for my 10 year old sister (I’m 14), and it looks sooo cute!
I used the elastic from the site, and it was here really quickly.
Thanks for sharing!

Just used this technique to modify an old long wrap around skirt (that didn’t quite wrap far enough around to wear modestly – there was leg split many red-carpet models would be happy with haha). I can wear the skirt again now, as a normal maxi with this elastic banded top – thanks!

I divided the fabric and elastic evenly like you said, but maybe I had to much fabric because it wouldn’t stretch to fit. I ended up making a casing and putting the elastic through, which was much easier! :)

omg yay i have a TUN of foe elastic left over from my cloth diaper days and never got rid of it because it was so expensive now i have a use! plus my daughter went threw that only wear dress phaze (or maybe still is) we just put short and jeans in the winter under it lol

I am in my 20′s and have severe psoriasis on my legs and don’t like to wear shorts or capris in the summer. They rub on my “spots” and the shorts don’t hide them. Skirts are much more comfortable and I can wear them in multiple lengths to hide my psoriasis. Using your instructions I can make several quick skirts in various lengths. I am a beginner sewer so this should work well for me. Thank you!

I love this idea, it’s super cute, and super easy. I just have one question: How would I have to adapt these instructions to make it by hand? (It’s a surprise, and there is no way to be covert while using our noisy sewing machine!)

I thought I’d try making one for myself also. Anything need to be done differently
For an adult. I’m not t hh e worst seamstress, I can follow a store bought pattern
…….most of tHE time.
I live in arizona and just want some to slip on. Anytips would be very helpful
Thank you.
First time visitor love your site and seemingly easy instructions!!!

Thank you, Thank you!! I have to whip up an outfit for a Stagette this weekend in ‘animal print’. Not something I’m willing to pay more than $4 at the bargain aisle of the fabric store on since I’ll be wearing it for the 2 hours to get through dinner. Women over 40 shouldn’t do them, EVER!! However, because I love loose skirts and can get away pairing a t-shirt with a belt and skirt for summer days at the office I think I might just be using this to stretch my summer wardrobe. Up in Canada we’re lucky to get 3 months of summer, so I hate to spend too much and refuse to be uncomfortable.

just wondering if i didn’t use knit but used cotton instead…i know i’ll have to hem extra and all those things…but how much wider should I make it to go over the waist…the fabric doesn’t stretch like knits…hope that makes sense.

I’m wondering if this could be made into a little girl’s maxi skirt just by adding length? I’m a novice sewer and my niece desperately wants a maxi skirt. I thought this would be simple enough to make, but not sure if it would look good as a maxi? Thoughts?

I don’t see any reason why not. It would certainly look good — I have several maxi skirts that are a very similar style (just with the elastic sewn into the seam, since I’m an adult), and they generally look pretty good. My only concern is that that the bottom circumference would be too small to allow full freedom of movement. However, I see three solutions to this:

1) Add a second tier (and possibly even a third), but dividing the total length you want in half (or thirds) plus seam allowance, and make the second tier wider than the first, probably 1.5 to 2x (so for a 21 inch waist, your top piece would still be 42 inches, but your next one would be 53 – 84 inches… I think closer to the 53″ end of that, but maybe a bit extra, say around 60-65″; and if you chose to add a 3rd tier, which would be more necessary for an older/taller child than a younger/smaller one, that might be around 90″ if your second tier was around 60″… possibly as much as 118″ if your second tier was 84″, but I think that would likely result in too much fabric for a little girl)

2) Simply increase the width of the fabric piece as well as the length, so rather than 42″ x 12″ you might do something like 60″ x 36″. This will create a bulkier waist, and might be too much fabric at the top, but will increase the circumference at the bottom to allow her more range of movement.

3) Add a slit. All you’d need to do is make a cut on one side, as high up as needed (probably somewhere from a bit below the knee to a bit above), and hem or surge the edges so they don’t fray. If necessary, you can do two slits, one on each side (with one slit, it can be worn with the slit either on the side, or in the back; with two, they should both be on the sides) to give even more freedom of movement.

You could also use stretchy fabric to ensure she has enough range of movement, without altering the pattern other than adding length. However, stretchy fabric tends to be more difficult to work with. Also, it’s easier to trip over a stretchy skirt than a flowy one, so I’d recommend that approach more for an adult than a child.

That said, I too am a novice sewer… but an experienced skirt-wearer. However, for the few projects I have done, I’ve modified the patterns more often than not, and it tends to work out pretty well, so I do think there’s a good chance my modifications would work. But full discloser, the only garments I’ve ever sewn (aside from minor repairs) are a half-apron and bonnet for a halloween costume, and a baby dress that was never worn, all of which were sewn by hand — the only real project I’ve done with a sewing machine is a tote bag.

Cute!!! I’m still pretty new to sewing, and haven’t tried any clothing yet using a machine (I’ve done a couple pieces by hand, but that’s it), but this looks like a good first clothing project. I think I’ll try making these for my little goddaughters. I might even try scaling it up a bit (and changing the color schemes a bit… actually, who am I kidding, I may buy grown-up color combinations, but in the end, I’ll probably go for the bright colors) and making one for myself!

BTW, if Elli is still into only skirts and dresses (I realize this post is over 2 years old, and kids change fast)… I haven’t worn pants/shorts/capris in over 4 years. I started wearing only skirts and dresses as part of a sort of a religious phase I guess, but I’ve given up most of the other ‘rules’ I was following associated with that (obviously not the ones related to just being a decent human being, like not killing people, etc., but the ones that were specifically religious), but I found that I really just prefer skirts and dresses. I will say, though, I usually wear shorts under them, especially if I’m wearing a shorter skirt (anything above the knee, really), so that if I want to hang upside-down by my knees, I can!